Door latch and striker



Sept. 30, 1958 D. c. PROBST DOOR LATCH AND STRIKER Filed Jan. 13, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEY noon LATCH AND STRIKER Deihert Q. irobst, Detroit, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware rippiication Eanuary 13, 1954, Serial No. 403,807

3 Claims. (Cl. 292-229) This invention relates to a door latch and striker, and more particularly to a latch and striker for an automobile door.

The invention provides an improvement in latches of the general type shown and described in the patent to Leslie et al., No. 2,641,495, issued on June 9, 1953. In the Leslie et al. patent the door of the automobile carries a latch having a bolt pivoted about a horizontal axis on the latch frame and projecting through the jamb face of the door. The bolt is connected to a multiplier lever having a plurality of teeth adapted to be engaged by a hook-shaped detent lever to hold the bolt in a lifted latched position. When the detent lever is moved out of engagement with the teeth on the multiplier lever the latch bolt is returned by a spring to a lower unlatched position. This latch also includes outer and inner means for operating the detent lever to open the door, the outer means including an outer handle with a pushbutton on the outer panel of the door and the inner means including a turn handle which is remote from the latch and is mounted on the inner panel of the door. In order to lock the door the pushbutton is disconnected from the detent lever by means of a key which may be inserted in the outside handle, or by means of a garnish molding pushbutton on the inside of the passenger compartment of the automobile.

When the door is closed the pivoted lift bolt enters an open ended upwardly inclined cam slot in a striker which is mounted on the jamb face of a stationary frame member formed by a body pillar. When the door is closing the projecting end of the lift bolt enters the open ended cam slot in the striker and the upwardly inclined slot cams the bolt to its latched position, the detent lever then engaging one of the teeth on the multiplier lever to hold the bolt in latched position.

In the Leslie et al. lock, in order to support the door firmly on the body when it is closed, the door also carries a wedge member which enters a separate slot on the striker to provide a dovetail for supporting the door. In the latch shown and described in the above mentioned Leslie et al. patent the wedge member is located a couple of inches below the latch bolt and a separate slot is pro vided for it on the striker, so that the wedge and bolt are spaced vertically from each other when the door is closed.

The present invention provides an improvement over the Leslie et al. latch generally described above in that the wedge member is carried on the door at the level of the bolt when in unlatched position, but outwardly of the bolt; and the wedge enters the same slot which cams the bolt, the wedge entering the slot behind the bolt to provide a dovetail for supporting the door on the frame. The slot is formed as a dog leg, having an open ended States Patent generally horizontal portion and an upwardly inclined camming portion. When the door is closed the bolt enters the slot first and moves through the generally horizontal portion into the upwardly inclined camming portion, the wall of this latter portion camming the bolt upwardly into its latched position. The wedge enters the slot behind the bolt and jams tightly in the generally horizontal portion of the slot. Since the bolt is cammed upwardly, the necessary vertical spacing is provided between the bolt and the wedge to form a dovetail arrangement which supports the door firmly on the frame. In order to insure tight engagement of the wedge in the slot the wedge carries a spring-pressed sliding shoe on its upwardly facing surface, and the downwardly facing surface at the top of the slot is inclined with reference to the upper surface of this shoe so that the wedge is jammed tightly in the slot.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and from the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary inside elevational view of a portion of an automobile door including the improved latch, the general outlines of the latch being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the door pillar, being taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1, parts of the pillar and the door frame being broken away to show underlying structure;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, 10 is an automobile door which is hingedly mounted at one of its sides on the automobile body in conventional manner, and which is latched at its other side to a body frame member here shown as a door pillar 12 mounted at the edge of a body panel 13. Particularly if the automobile is of the type illustrated in which the center pillar terminates at the belt line of the car and does not extend up to the roof of the car, the space along the pillar 12 is limited for latching both front and rear doors. The latch of this invention is particularly advantageous because it shortens the distance or space needed to latch each door. Inasmuch as the dovetail wedge enters the same slot that is used to cam the bolt, the wedge is mounted at the level of the bolt rather than being mounted a couple of inches below the bolt as where a separate slot is used, as has been conventional.

In Figure 1 the latch is shown generally as comprising a frame 14 which is bolted or otherwise secured to the door 10, and upon which a bolt 16 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis 18. While they form no part of this invention and are well understood in the art, a remote operating rod 20 is illustrated which may extend to a remote handle on the inner door panel so that the door can be unlatched from the inside, and a garnish molding locking button 22 is shown connected to the latch by a garnish molding rod 24 so that the door can be locked from the inside. If other details of the construction and operation of the latch mechanism are desired, reference may be had to the Leslie et al. Patent 2,641,495, and the latch will not be described in further detail here.

The free end of the bolt 16 projects from the jamb face of the door 10, the latch frame having a flange 26 which lies in the plane of the jamb face of the door and which is secured to the door by screws 28. This flange has a vertically elongated slot 30 through which the free end of the bolt projects, the bolt being shown in its lifted o1- latched position and being held in this position by a detent as fully described in the patent to Leslie et al. 2,641,495. The latch is movable between the latched position illustrated and a lower unlatched position where the latch is at the bottom of slot 30.

The pillar 12 carries a striker designated generally as 32 which is secured to the pillar by bolts 34. The striker has a camming slot which receives thebolt when the door is closed and earns the bolt to its lifted or door latched position as illustrated The slot .is' of dog leg conformation and has an open endedouter portion 36 and an inner upwardly inclined camming portion 38. When the door is slammed shut the bolt, which is initially at the level of the openended'outer slot portion 36,- enters this portion of the slot, and, as the closing movement of the door continues, the bolt moves into the upwardly inclined camming portion 38. Afroller 40 on the end of the bolt facilitates this movement,

A wedge member42 is carriedby the door at the level of the open ended outer slot portion 36, as shown in Figure 2. This wedge is located outwardly of the bolt so that it'enters the slot behind the bolt to provide, a dovetail for supporting the door on the frame, Since the bolt is cammed upwardly by the slot the necessary vertical,

spacing betweenthe bolt 16 and the wedge 42 is provided. In order to make sure that, the wedge jams tightly into the slot the lower surface 43 of the portion 36 of the slot slopes upwardly and inwardly, and the wedge carries on its upper side a spring pressed sliding shoe 44,

this shoe being urged inwardly or toward the pillar by a Since the wedge is'located at the level of thebolt when,

in unlatched position, it is also at the level of the open ended outer slot portion 36, and since the'shoe is located outwardly of the bolt it enters the slot behind the bolt. Because of this location of the wedge it is not necessary to provide a separate dovetail slot for the wedge and the space necessary for the latch bolt and the dovetail is considerably shortened. As pointed'out earlier this is particularly advantageous when it is desired 'to latch both front and rear doors on a single short frame or pillar.

While I have shown and described one embodiment, it Changes, therefore,

is capable of many modifications. in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described for latching a door member to a frame member, including: a latch on one of said members, including a pivoted bolt which is movable between latched and unlatched positions; a striker on the other of said members having a cam slot with an inclined camming portion, said slot receiving said bolt and camming it aboutits pivotal axis into a door latched position when the door is closed; and an immovable wedge on said one member at the level of said bolt when in unlatched position, but outwardly thereof, the wedge entering said slot behind the bolt to provide a dovetail for supporting the door on the frame.

2. Apparatus of the character described for latching a door member to a frame member, including: a latch on one of said members, including a bolt which is movable between latched and unlatched position; a striker on the other of. said members having a cam slot receiving wherein the lower surface -.of the outer portion of the the bolt and camming it into a door latched position when the door is closed, said'slot being formed as a dog leg and having an open ended outer portion and an inner inclined camming portion; and an immovable wedge on said one member outwardly of the bolt, said bolt being at the same level as the wedge in its unlatched position to enter said slot for displacement to its latched position, the wedge being separate from and spaced from the bolt and the wedge entering'the outer portion of the slot behind the bolt as the door is closed to provide a dovetail for supporting the door on the frame.

3. Apparatus of the character described for latching a door member to a frame member, including: a latch on one of said members, including a bolt which is movable between latched and unlatched positions; a striker on the other of said members having a cam slot receiving the bolt and camming it into a door latched position when the door is closed, said slot being formed as a dog 7 leg and having an open ended outer portion and an' inner inclined camming portion; a wedge on said one member at the level of said bolt when in unlatched position, but outwardly thereof, the wedge entering the outer portion of the slot behind the bolt to provide a dovetail for supporting the door on the frame; and a spring-pressed sliding. shoe on the upper surface of said wedge, said shoe having an upper surface which is generally parallel with the adjacent surface of said slot to hold the wedge in tight engagement in the slot.

4. Apparatusof the character described for latching a door to a frame, including; :alatch on the door,said latch including a pivoted bolt projecting from the jamb face of the door, said bolt being movable between latched and unlatched positions; a striker on the frame, said striker having a cam slot receiving said bolt and camming it into a door latched position when the door" is, closed; and an immovable wedge on said door spaced fromthe bolt at'the level of said bolt when in unlatched position, but outwardly thereof, the wedge entering. said slot behind thebolt to provide a dovetail for supporting the door on the'frame.

5. Apparatus of the character described for latching a door to a frame, including: a latch on the door, said latch having a bolt which is pivoted on a horizontal axis and which projects from the jam face of the door, said bolt being movable between latched and unlatched positions; a striker onthe frame, said striker having a cam slot with'a vertically inclined camming portion, said slot receiving said bolt and camming it about its pivotal axis into a door latched position when the door is closed;

and a wedge on said door at the level of said boltwhen in unlatched position, but ouwardly thereof, the wedge being separate from and spaced from thebolt and the wedge entering'said' slot behind the-bolt to provide a dovetail for supporting the door on the frame.

6. Apparatusof the character described for latching a door to a frame, including: a latch on the door, saidlatch having a bolt which is pivoted on a horizontal axis and which projects from the jamb face of the door, saidbolt being movable between latchedand, unlatched positions; a striker on the framehaving a cam slot receiving formed as a dog leg and having an open ended outer portion and an inner vertically inclined camming portion;

and a wedge on said door at the level of the bolt when in:

unlatched positionpbut outwardly thereof, the wedge entering the outerportion of the slot behind the bolt to provide a dovetail for supporting the door on the frame.1

7. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 6,

slot which supports said wedge slopes upwardly and inwardly toprovide .a wedging support surface for the" wedge.

8. Apparatus of theycharacter described for latching a door toa frame, including: a latch onthe door, said latch having a bolt which is pivoted on ahorizonta'l axis ing the outer portion of the slot behind the bolt to provide 10 a dovetail for supporting the door on the frame; and a spring-pressed sliding shoe on the upper surface of said wedge, said shoe having an upper surface which is generally parallel with the adjacent surface of said slot to hold the wedge in tight engagement in the slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,733 Bennett July 25, 1916 2,100,591 Haberstump Nov. 30, 1937 2,246,785 Dall June 24, 1941 

